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Marcia talk over coffee.

  John

  So how’d you wind up involved with Dex?

  MARCIA

  A couple of months after you left for the service, he came into the C-Town buying groceries for a party he was having.

  john

  You always loved getting your groove on.

  marcia

  (laughing)

  Yeah, you know how I love to party. And Dex throws the biggest bashes. Barbecues on the fourth of July, Turkeys on Thanksgiving, Christmas toys for the kids-

  John

  He’s a real hero.

  Marcia

  He was doing a lot more for me than the scrubs in the neighborhood could. He could take me to the movies, buy me nice clothes, jewelry, trips to Jamaica-.

  jOHN

  I take it you enjoyed getting the attention from a high roller-

  marcia

  I’ll admit it did feel good to be taken care of at first. I never got respect from people before I started dating Dex.

  JOHN

  Nobody respects a C-town checker?

  MARCIA

  Please. People wouldn’t even talk to me when I worked the register at C-Town. I can’t tell you how many times I got cursed out there-

  john

  But they step back when they know you’re Dex’s woman.

  marcia

  Yeah. They see me walking down the street and they treat me like I’m somebody. Like I matter.

  john

  You mattered to me back in the day-

  marcia

  But you left for the service.

  john

  Sometimes I wonder what could’ve been between us-

  Marcia

  Believe me I’d give all the designer clothes, jewelry and furniture back if I could get a chance with you-

  John takes Marcia’s hand.

  JOHN

  I’m out of the service now.

  MARcia

  You must like to live dangerously. You know Dex is out to kill you-

  John

  And so was Samhal Hussein.

  marcia

  I don’t want you putting your life on the line for me-

  john

  You’ve been pining for me for years.

  marcia

  And now you’re making a move?

  john

  It seems like the right time.

  Marcia gives John a look.

  marcia

  Is it? Neither of us has a job or a way to make a living-

  John

  You can do better than Dex.

  Marcia

  I never thought I’d get my chance with you-

  john

  We can make it together.

  Marcia blushes. She’s flattered by the offer but-

  marcia

  Still, what about Dex?

  John

  I don’t see no rings on those fingers.

  Marcia ponders John’s offer as-

  Ronald walks into the Diner and approaches their booth.

  Ronald

  They told me you came in here.

  John springs out of his seat.

  john

  Excuse me.

  John and Ronald walk into a-

  COrner of the diner

  And John inquires-

  john

  What’s going on Ronald?

  ronald

  We’re gonna bring Dex down this afternoon. You want to ride with me?

  john

  I’m in. Just let me talk to Marcia for a minute.

  John returns to the-

  Booth

  And tells Marcia-

  john

  Something came up. I gotta go.

  marcia

  I’ll talk to you later.

  John and Ronald rush out of the diner. 30 minutes-

  later

  He’s riding shotgun in Ronald’s Lexus with a convoy of police squad cars and vans behind them to-

  ext. Webster houses – afternoon.

  Officers in bulletproof vests with guns drawn storm out of vehicles with guns drawn. John and Ronald lead the and charge on a-

  Block party

  With red white and blue ballons, a DJ spinning tracks, American flags and barbecue. Kids are playing and getting their faces painted while-

  Dex is interviewed by a news crew. With the microphone pointed in his face and cameras on him, Dex smiles at the officers as-

  dex

  Well I’d like to think we’d all like to go out of our way to honor an American hero.

  John and the officers approach. Dex looks directly at the camera and says-

  dex

  And here comes the guest of honor with his police escort.

  Ronald gestures for the officers to put their guns down. Dex takes advantage of the situation to mock them.

  DEX

  Afternoon officers. Doesn’t look like you’re dressed to celebrate the man who took out Samhal Hussein-

  John

  We’re executing a warrant.

  Ronald pulls John aside and whispers in his ear-

  Ronald

  Can’t do this now.

  john

  Why not?

  ronald

  There’s kids here and reporters. We do anything now and it’ll be a riot all over the news.

  An exasperated John huffs a sigh as Dex-

  Rubs it in.

  Dex

  Yo, soldier boy, I’m having a block party in your honor. Grab yourself a plate of barbecue.

  John glares at Dex and tells him-

  John

  I’m not hungry.

  Eager to get the story, the reporter asks-

  Reporter

  John how do you feel about the community honoring you-

  John

  No comment.

  As John storms upstairs Dex heads over to-

  a table in the courtyard

  Where his henches are sitting scarving down plates.

  HENCH#1

  Yo, you see the way soldier boy ran off! You punked him good Dex!

  dex

  Yeah I got him good. But with soldier boy getting serious it’s time to take care of some business. I can’t be having niggers like the District Attorney trying to step to me with armies of cops.

  The henches are eager for some violence.

  Hench #3

  You want us to jump him?

  dex

  Nah. For this kind of work I’ma have to bring in the specialists.

  Dex takes his cell phone out of his pocket punches in some numbers and calls-

  dex

  Hello Escobar? I got a job for you.

  Dex lays out his plans as-

  Int. Apt 5a living room – evening

  John broods on the sofa. The TV broadcasts-

  Insert

  The 6’oclock news. A donut plays featuring-

  REPORTER

  (V.O.)

  Local members of the community and law enforcement welcomed home Sgt. John Williams, the soldier who killed Iraqi warlord Samhal Hussein with a surprised block party-

  CLICK! John shuts off the TV as-

  Back to the living room

  DING DONG! The doorbell rings. Mama opens the door to-

  Ronald.

  mama

  May I help you?

  RONald

  I’m Ronald Johnson the District Attorney. I wanted to talk to John-

  John jumps off the sofa.

  john

  I don’t want to talk-

  RONALD

  Look, I’m sorry we couldn’t arrest Dex but-

  John

  What are you sorry for? You folded to Dex like a $2 lawn chair.

  ronald

  I couldn’t arrest him there-

  john

  He kills a cop and you back off-

  ronald

  It wasn’t the right time.

  john

  When is it gonna be the right time for justice? Charles is dea
d-

  ronald

  Look, there were kids and the media there. If we went after him then, we wouldn’t have the community on our side-

  john

  I know. Hearts and minds. Someone in the department tipped him off-

  ronald

  I know. But I’m not gonna stop until I get Charles justice.

  Ronald heads for the door and tells John-

  ronald

  I’ll call you when we’re ready to make another move on Dex.

  As Ronald leaves-

  Marcia enters. Mama warns her-

  mama

  He’s in a bad mood.

  Mama heads for the kitchen as-

  Marcia flops on the sofa and puts her arm around the frustrated John.

  marcia

  I heard about what Dex did to you-

  john

  Your man played his hand well.

  marcia

  Dex was always good at cards. He could always pull an ace out of nowhere-

  john

  I didn’t see that barbecue coming-

  marcia

  Well, life isn’t as black and white as they teach you in the military.

  john

  War is war. Dex is just like Samhal Hussein-

  marcia

  Guys like Dex don’t play by the army’s rules.

  john

  What rules do they play by then?

  marcia

  You’re used to following orders and doing what you’re told to complete your mission. On the street it doesn’t work that way.

  john

  I’m just using what I’ve been taught-

  marcia

  And you can’t fight a South Bronx Drug kingpin with an Iraq War strategy Sergeant.

  John

  So what am I supposed to do?

  marcia

  Adapt. Improvise. Get to know your environment and use it against your enemy.

  john

  Use my imagination-

  marcia

  Yeah. Sometimes it’s not about having the biggest gun, but how you use what you have.

  John is impressed.

  So my girl is smart and sexy?

  Marcia smiles at John.

  marcia

  I learned a few things while you were gone.

  John smiles slyly at Marcia.

  john

  And I got an A plus in sex ed.

  John gives Marcia a coy look and-

  Goes for a kiss. She doesn’t stop him-

  Marcia

  You know I still have a man-

  john

  Yeah, and he’s sitting right here.

  Marcia giggles and-

  The playful kisses turn into a hot and heavy makeout session which ends up in-

  john’s Bedroom

  Where John and Marcia passionately make love. They lie together in each other’s arms until the next-

  morning.

  Where John is woken up by BRRRING! His cell phone. John’s John stirs and takes his cell phone off the night table and answers it-

  john

  Williams.

  ronald

  It’s going down. Meet us on the 16th floor.

  John jumps out of bed. Marcia stirs and asks-

  marcia

  Where are you off to?

  john

  To get justice for Charles.

  John gets dressed in civilian gear and rushes upstairs to the-

  16th floor hallway

  Where he meets up with-

  Ronald and a group of officers in bulletproof vests and heavy artillery in front of Apartment 16K.

  Ronald

  We’re ready to do this.

  On Ronald’s cue the battering ram-

  BOOM! Smashes down the door. John